The Maelstrom
by gossip stone
Summary: The sky over the Earth Kingdom capital was overcast, the bleak clouds oppressive. The Earth, it seemed, was already mourning Aang's imminent death.


Disclaimer: I do not own _Avatar: the Last Airbender._

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><p>Katara resisted the urge to retch as the bitter stench of burning, rotting flesh assaulted her nostrils. She was hurtling upward at a steady velocity; faster than Master Pakku had told her to go for this technique, but it was still <em>not enough.<em> Time was running out quickly, and each labored breath from Aang told her that she had royally screwed up.

The sky over the Earth Kingdom capital was overcast, the bleak clouds oppressive as she ran along the uneven cobblestone streets, the dead weight of the Avatar slowing her down. The Earth, it seemed, was already mourning Aang's imminent death, dressing itself in blacks and greys for the time when the curtain swung closed on his brief life.

Katara stumbled through the streets, casting about for somewhere, _any_where, to go. Not the palace. Azula would have surely taken that over by now, lording her newfound power over its miserable subjects. Not the house. Once their place of refuge, now certainly holding Dai Lee agents that would strike them down as carelessly as Azula had Aang. Her thoughts were incoherent and wild as she clutched him tighter to her, as if by holding him close enough to her she could somehow make him part of herself, make him healthy and whole again.

Such a stupid desire. There was only one thing she could do for him at this point, and now-

She almost collided headfirst with her brother and Toph, who were closely followed by the bumbling Earth King. Sokka took one look at their fallen comrade, cradled in his little sister's arms, and his skin took on a greenish tinge.

"Call Appa," Katara instructed him numbly. Sokka nodded, too stunned to speak, and quickly retrieved the bison whistle from around the Avatar's neck. Katara looked away as he brought the ceramic object to his lips, the only evidence that he had used it a small, nearly inaudible gust of air and the cry of a behemoth from far off. She swallowed the sob building in her throat as Sokka assisted her and Aang, then Toph and the Earth King, onto Appa's head. They were off then, without having to tell the animal what to do. Perhaps he knew instinctively that his master was dying.

Katara laid him down as gently as if he were her lover, her hands lingering on his broken body. The skin of his damaged back was far too warm, and it tore partially when her hands removed themselves from beneath him. Along with this came the rusty smell of blood, and she fought once again for control over her stomach. Taking the miniscule flask of healing water from the string around her neck, she fumbled with the stopper for a minute before bending the water out of it. It hung suspended in the air for a minute, shimmering as it twisted about, a stark contrast to the ebony sky. She lifted Aang up, supporting his weight with her side. Carefully, lovingly, she pressed the water to his back as if it were a cloth. The water glowed silver for a moment before disappearing.

Aang made no movement, no sound, and it was then that she knew she had failed him.

A moan escaped her lips before Katara buried her face in Aang's neck, the burning tears staining his skin and flushing her face. She knew, in the back of her mind, that she had to control herself, that now was the time for strength, but some primal part of her told her that no, now was the time for mourning, bravery be damned. She hadn't cried this much since the death of her mother nearly six years ago, and she could quickly feel the pounding headache coming on as she lost all evidence of maturity and was reduced to a sobbing child, holding her mother's cold body in her arms.

But, through the numb feeling that had descended on her, she felt a slight twitch in Aang's shoulders. A low groan sounded in her ears as he reacted in pain to how tightly her arms were wrapped around him.

Katara let out a cry of joy as she held the boy away from her, the tears blurring her vision so that she only just caught his weak, yet triumphant grin. His cloudy grey eyes drifted closed, and she put an arm around his waist, resting his head on her slim shoulder. From behind her, voices murmured.

"The Earth Kingdom," intoned its king, for once subdued, "has fallen."

Toph remained uncharacteristically speechless, turning her unseeing eyes to where she assumed Sokka was. The warrior stared at her for a moment, weighing the options in his mind. "We can go to Chameleon Bay," he decided finally, speaking loud enough for Katara to hear him over the wind. "Dad's there, and that's the only place that'll be… safe…"

The Waterbender bowed her head in acknowledgement, her bright blue eyes fixed firmly on the comatose boy in her arms. He was still weak, and too much movement would be detrimental to his health at this point. But, Chameleon Bay was still a ways away, and she had important things to think about now…

A cracking noise. The bright flash of the lightning as it soared through the air, hitting its target immediately. Just as she had planned.

Azula.

Katara's teeth snapped together as she pictured the princess of the Fire Nation, two fingers outstretched, a victorious smirk on her face as she watched the Avatar fall to his doom. She had always had the upper hand against them, Katara realized, and she had, incidentally, been the only one not watching in awe as Aang ascended, entering the Avatar State.

She would get her, though. Her and Zuko, the spoiled brats of the Fire Lord. She wanted to slap herself across the face for even thinking the handsome, disfigured prince had changed. Obviously he had played her, winning her trust before he turned right around and shoved a knife in her back. But she would repay them in kind. Spirits help them if Katara ever came across either of them again, because she would have her revenge.

This she swore as, unbeknownst to its citizens, the power over Ba Sing Se changed hands, and the Fire Nation was once more leading in the war against the rest of the world.

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><p><strong>End Note: <strong>I realize that things like this have been done to death, but most of them are Kataangy and WAFFy even given the grim circumstances. I snuck a little bit of WAFF in there, but I wanted to establish Katara's hate for Zuko right there. I'm sure her thoughts were a tornado of hate and grief right then, and I'm sure Zuko was not overlooked.

Reviews are appreciated.


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